1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an alignment system and methods for aligning at least one apparatus with respect to a surface of a tissue by utilizing a tissue interface member and mating the apparatus to the tissue interface member during the operation of the apparatus. Furthermore, this invention could have direct application in any situation where accurate, repeatable repositioning of one object with respect to another is needed, specifically for positioning an object on the surface of a tissue in a repeatable manner. For example, the coupling of any type of sensor, monitor, or device (accelerometer, thermometer, pulse pressure monitor, electrode for sensing or delivering, etc.) could benefit from a reliable method of repositioning and guaranteed alignment. This invention may be used for either application of several of the same devices for comparison, or reapplication of the same device at prescribed intervals in time so long as the original tissue interface member can remain attached to the skin unaffected.
2. Discussion of the Art
Previously, applications involving multiple or repeated engagement of an apparatus to a surface required hand-eye coordination for alignment. Often, this would lead to inaccurate alignment that would result in a less efficient and/or effective operation of the apparatus. The hand-eye coordination sometimes required a means for marking the desired location on the surface so as to use that marking as a reference point for subsequent alignment. However, this created a dependency on the operator that would lead to inconsistent results. In the field of continuous analyte monitoring of a biological tissue, oftentimes openings on the surface of the tissue are required to measure biological fluids. Techniques to create small openings in the tissue include the use of mechanical devices, thermal ablation and direct energy absorption. Where energy emitter devices are involved in the process, it is necessary to align the energy emitter device properly. For example, one thermal ablation technique creates openings utilizing a strip of energy absorbing film that is held in contact with the tissue. The film is responsive to energy directed thereon to heat up and to conductively transfer heat to the surface of the tissue to ablate the tissue. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,211 for a further description of this thermal ablation technique.
Furthermore, in minimally invasive continuous analyte monitoring applications, the tissue ablation process creates openings to which vacuum can be applied to extract interstitial fluid or blood for measurement, or at which point a drug delivery device may be attached at the registration/poration site to deliver the desired drug through the openings. In situations where energy emissions are used to ablate the tissue, effective fluid collection, delivery and other handling processes can be hampered by the presence of the energy absorbing film. Moving the film out of the way for collection solves the interference problem, but then site registration for placement of the fluid extraction device and substance delivery device becomes an issue. This invention provides for a tissue interface member that maintains the desired alignment after removal of the dye layer so as to enable fluid extraction and substance delivery devices to operate at the desired registration site.
There is room for improving alignment methods, systems and devices where multiple apparatus and/or repeated apparatus application to a desired location on a surface is necessary and/or beneficial for effective use of an apparatus. Particularly in the area of continuous analyte monitoring, there exists a need to integrate and consolidate several functions of the analyte monitoring procedure into a single device. The present invention and its various embodiments accomplishes and satisfies this need by providing for an efficient means to make and maintain alignment of tissue breaching devices and sensors while also removing steps otherwise necessary for interfacing and operating those apparatus at the desired location on the surface of a tissue.